The Thing About Cats
by KiraTheFabulous
Summary: Second story following my OC Kira as she travels the long road of adolescence. Join her as she learns life's hard lessons and faces her in inner demons. In this episode, Gray and Kira go on a mission with a reward that doesn't measure up. Kira gets into a pickle, and Gray has to save her useless hide! Oh, the memories they make! Eventual Gray/OC R&R plz no flames
1. Chapter 1

Here's number 2! I hope you enjoyed the First one (Elemental Witch); I had planned to make it a little longer but I kept hitting writers block and decided that my writers block was a sign that it was meant to end the way it did. So sorry if that irritated anyone lol

As for why Erza called her 'little sister', Erza see's her as her little sister, but the two aren't actually related by blood.

So, with out further adieu, here's the second episode; The Trouble With Cats

* * *

Shine The Light- Sugarland

"...When your staring down your demons

waiting in your darkest night

I will shine the light..."

* * *

Kira groaned groggily as the rays from the rising sun caressed her face. She rolled away from the annoying light, throwing her arm around her pillow and snuggling deeper into her covers with a contented sigh. She had to admit that while she didn't enjoy being woken up by the sun nothing beat the calming heat that radiated onto her back and shoulders; it was so peaceful. So tranquil-

"Hey! What are you doing in my bed?!" She groaned, lifting her head off the pillow and glancing sleepily over her shoulder at her very easily annoyed partner. He was sitting up on his knees clad in only his sleeping pants with a glare that promised death gracing his normally scowling face. She huffed, rolling back over and bringing the blanket higher up onto her head. "DON'T JUST ROLL OVER! GET OUT!"

"Graaaaaay~ why do you have to shout first thing in the morning, huh?" Gray's brow twitched at Kira's groggy reply. He reached over and tugged the blanket off her only to scramble backwards with a yelp as he realized she was dressed in her underwear and bandages.

"WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!" She groaned, rolling off the side of the bed and taking the pillow she had stolen with her, landing with a loud 'thump' on the floor.

"How is this any different from what I always wear?" She asked through the pillow, her words muffled slightly from it's down interior. He moved to the side of the bed with every intention of tearing her a new one about privacy only to be met with a pillow to the face as she tried to discard the fluffy sleep trap. She stood up with a yawn ignoring the furious glare Gray was sending her way and began to dress, locating and pulling her shorts on before grabbing her jacket. "Well sense I was so rudely awakened and forced out of my own bed-"

"THIS IS MY BED-"

"We might as well get a jump start on the day! Look!" Kira pulled what looked to be a job posting (from the Fairy Tail job board) out of her jackets right pocket and shoved it into Grays face, rubbing it against his cheek to further fuel his irritation. "Feel the Majesty that is the mission! Do you smell it? The smell of victory? Of rewards?! OF THE NEXT YEARS RENT?!" Gray sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"All I smell is paper... and ink." Kira tutted him like a mother to their misbehaving child and pulled the posting far enough away from Gray's face so that he could read what was printed rather sloppily on it's surface.

"Wan'ted, help needed locating a Mr.- Mr. Whiskers? What the heck kind of name is that?!"

"Keep reading!" Gray sighed in exasperation, snatching the paper away from her to get a better look at it; she was practically dancing with excitement. Unbeknownst to him, no sooner had he taken the paper then did Kira start bouncing around the room, opening his dresser drawers and his closet door and pulling out his cloths for he day while also packing an extra set (just in case).

"It's a cat? You took a job that requires you to find a cat?" Gray looked up only to see Kira rummaging through the top drawer of his dresser, tossing a clean pair of black boxers onto the bed followed by black socks. "...I can pack my own bag you know..."

"Not just any cat! Some poor, rich old biddy lost the only thing left in this world that she cherishes!" Kira wiped away a fake tear, completely ignoring Gray's previous statement as she gingerly placed his shoes on the floor next to the bed. "You haven't even read the best part yet! Look a the reward!" Gray sighed, glancing at the bottom of the page where written in tiny hand writing was-

"**200,000** JEWL?! FOR A STINKING CAT?!" Kira snatched the posting from him and folded it neatly into her back pack which was now sitting atop the bed.

"That's right! Not such a silly mission now, is it?" Gray grumbled and grabbed his cloths before making his way to the bathroom irritably. It was bad enough that she sneaks into his room at night to use his bed (though he couldn't really blame her for liking his more; the first time he sat on hers he thought it was going to crack in half), but she had also banned him from changing sleep cloths in front of her, and rather then leaving the room, she forced him to start changing _his_ cloths in _his_ bathroom inside _his_ living quarters. "So hurry up! We have to be in Tengu in an hour!"

Moments later they where walking out the door (which Gray was sure to lock; even after two months of living in the Fairy Tail men's dorm he didn't trust anyone enough to keep his empty room unlocked), passing by many other guild members on their way. As they passed Quarters 345, the door swung open revealing the curious and slightly annoyed face of Laxus, a strong teenage wizard with blonde hair,blue eyes and a weird scar that ran from his right brow to with in an inch of his jaw line. His normal headphones where attached to his ears.

"What the hell is all the commotion about so early in the morning?!" He demanded making Kira stick her tongue out at him. "Don't make me zap that out of your mouth," Kira yelped, sucking her tongue back into her mouth so quickly she nearly choked on it. "What are _you_ doing here _pest_? Girl's aren't allowed in the boy's dorm."

"Well you see sparky-"

"-Don't call me that!-"

"-Gray here misses me soooooo much during the night that he kidnaps me and forces me to stay in his room." Gray smacked the back of her head earning a yelp of surprise from her and a quirked brow from Laxus.

"Don't make _me_ sound like the creeper in this situation; _you_ snuck into _my_ room!" Kira shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder haughtily before turning on her heal.

"Minor detail; now come on! We don't have time to deal with Sparky's attitude today!" Laxus fums at the mention of her ridiculous nick name for him and slams his door shut. Gray rolls his eyes and follows Kira into the stair well.

"Why do you always have to get under his skin?" Gray grumbled out as they exited the boys dorm and made their way towards the Guild's front gate.

"Whos?"

"Duh, Laxus; he's telling the truth you know. It's not only annoying but also against the rules for you to keep sneaking into my dorm at night just because you like my bed better then yours," Gray said with a deadpan face. "Not to mention a little creepy..."

"It isn't Laxus or anyone else's business where I sleep!" Kira said, hitting her right fist into her palm and imagining it being Laxus' face. "I mean come on! Does it mean _nothing_ to anyone that at least I'm sleeping and not trying to burn the place down?!"

Gray rubbed the back of his head uncertainly. "Well, yeah... I guess I never thought of it like that..."_...I would much rather her be sleeping then rifling through my closet or playing pranks on the others that live in the dorms..._ He shuddered at the thought of the last time Kira had been left alone in his dorm room with nothing to keep her entertained; it took him nearly ten hours to get the room picked up and put back the way he liked it.

"And it's not like I care what Laxus has to say! He thinks he's so cool with his lightning magic and headphones-" Gray decided that now was a good time to zone out as Kira started babbling on and on about all the stupid things she hated about Laxus. His shirt, his hair, his skin, his cocky smile- the way he _smells_- all part of the extensive list of things Kira came up with to explain her extreme distaste of the lightning wizard. He's probably heard the list at least a dozen times sense joining the Fairy Tail Guild two months ago.

"So what's the name of our client?" Gray asked, cutting Kira short on all the ways she wished she could destroy Laxus' headphones.

"Hmmm..." Kira pulled their pack from her back and rummaged through it for a few seconds before pulling out the neatly folded job request. "Granny Jamma- in Tengu Village. It should take us about an hour once we get out of Magnoria." Gray took the request out of her hands and read it over once more, a small frown falling onto his face. "What's with that sour face?" Kira asked while tugging his right hand away from the buttons on his shirt.

"I still don't like how simple this task is in comparison to the reward; it's not like she couldn't just get another cat." Kira placed her finger against her chin in thought, trying her hardest to think of a good enough answer to put his worries on the mission to rest.

"Well, you've had a friend before right? Before coming here that is; I know I'm the _best friend _ you've ever had!" She snickered as his right brow twitched.

"What's your point?!" He asked irritably.

"My _point_ is, if that person ever went missing wouldn't you go to any length to find them again?" Gray thrust the paper into her face, pointing at the name.

"But its a _cat_! Not a human!" Kira scowled, pulling the paper from his hands and folding it neatly before placing it back into their pack.

"Did you ever stop to think that that stupid cat is the only living thing that she can trust? Maybe for you, a cat wouldn't fall into the category for best friend, but for this woman this cat must be her entire world if she is willing to shell out such a hefty sum for his return." Gray quirked a brow at her irritated tone; it took quite a bit to get Kira to show her true annoyance. Something about this mission is bugging her, but maybe unlike him it isn't the mission its self.

* * *

"-So you see dearies, you _have_ to find Mr. Whiskers! He's all I have left!" Kira gave Gray an 'I-Told-You-So' look that made him scoff. Their cliant, Granny Jamma was stout and fat with rosy cheeks and squinted eyes. Her long white hair was piled high on her head in a messy bun. She was crying hysterically, her hands clutching at Kira and Grays with enough force to make the two pre-teens flinch.

"Don't worry Granny Jamma; we'll find Mr. Whiskers for you!" Kria said cheerfully as she pried her hand away from the old woman. Gray sighed in relief as Kira grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him away from Granny Jamma. "We'll be back by morning at the latest! Come on Gray- stop trying to take off your shirt! We're with a client!"

Gray grumbled, re-buttoning the top two buttons of his shirt as Kira lead him towards the outskirts of the town. He took this time to look around, a small frown coming to his face. All the houses, including that of their client, looked to be practically condemned. Not that it mattered to him; he could understand the issues of living in such a small town. The few people who where out side where dressed in rags, and seemed to have a permanent layer of dirt on their skin. Young children ran by with tiny bare feet, their arms and legs looking far to skinny for their age. The entire town seemed to be in poverty with barely enough money to handle feeding themselves. So then how was this little old woman supposed to pay them 200,000 Jewl?

It wasn't until a few moments later that Gray noticed they where walking out of the town. "Hey, why are we leaving? Don't we still have to find that mangy cat?"

Kira readjusted the back pack she carried. "Granny said that she last saw the cat going into the forest; weren't you listening?" Gray blushed at her exasperated tone; he hadn't listened to much that the old woman had spouted. There where far to many tears and wails coming from her to even understand what she was saying. Kira sighed. "Well, that's why we are going into the woods. Since this was where she last saw him, then chances are he hasn't wondered off to far.

* * *

Eight. Hours. Later.

"What was that you said about him not getting far?" Gray asked irritably. Kira's feet dragged with every step she took; they had been walking through these woods for half a day and have yet to see hide or tail of that stupid cat.

"How could a little animal travel so far in less then a day?!" Kira exclaimed.

"How the heck should I know?!" Gray was so frustrated; his whole day has been wasted on looking for some stupid cat in a stupid forest with his stupid partner who thought that it was a good idea to take a mission with a reward that was most likely a typo! And to make matters worse, he was _starving_...

"Well lets take a quick break; I could really use a snack right about now..." Kira said as she allowed herself to sink to the forest floor, the back pack sliding off her shoulders. Gray sighed, but took a seat a few feet away from her, leaning back onto his hands as he watched her rummage around in her back pack. "Hmmm... Let's see here..." She started pulling out a few fruits and a baggy with sandwich halves in it. Gray's eyes widened in curiosity as she started pulling out a large container of water; how the hell was she fitting all of that in her small back pack?! "Here we go! God, this is going to be so good!"

This wasn't the first time he had noticed Kira packing a ridiculous about of stuff into her small pack. It didn't matter where they went, or how long they where gone, she always had _everything _they needed to get by be it food, cloths, bandages even blankets. But she only ever carried that one little pack. He had examined it on more then one occasion while she was sleeping or taking a bath; but when he looked inside all he ever saw was a spare shirt for him (as he constantly loses them at random times) and a few granola bars. But here she was pulling out nearly a three course meal. She handed him two individually wrapped sandwich halves both ham and cheese with lettuce, no tomato- just how he liked it. They even had his name written in black marker across the plastic wrap! Next she placed an apple and a banana on a napkin beside his leg. His two favorite fruits.

"I even brought chocolate cake for desert!" She pulled out what looked to be an entire cake pan that was wrapped securely in a dish towel.

"...How the hell do you get all this to fit into that tiny sack?" Gray asked with a deadpanned expression. Kira glanced down at her sack, her eyes wide with contemplation. She had to think about it? Moments later she looked up at Gray and nodded her head.

"Yes." Gray felt the vein in his temple throb.

"What the hell kind of answer is that?!" Kira snickered and shoved one of the wrapped sandwich halves into her mouth.

"The only one your gonna get!" She said around her food making Gray sigh in exasperation before he too began to eat his lunch; he honestly didn't want to fight with her right now. He was to hungry to care right now. Kira glanced up at the sky through the tree tops; where those rain clouds? And it looked like the sun was starting to set too. This sucks. "We should start thinking about setting up camp soon; I don't want to wonder around here in the dark. Lord only knows what comes out at night in these woods."

"What, scared of a few owls?" Gray said snidely making Kira bristle in annoyance.

"NO! Though I'm starting to think you might make a good dinner for one!"

"That was a lame come back..."

Kira puffed up her cheeks, her face turning read in her irritation. "Oh yeah, well it wasn't as lame as your face-?" Kira stopped mid sentence, her head turning sharply to the side and her eyes widening as something small and black darted through the undergrowth. Gray quirked a brow at her in confusion though it was quickly replaced by surprise as she leaped to her feet and made a mad dash into the undergrowth, leaving him with her half eaten lunch and wide eyes.

"... Kira?"

* * *

Kira darted through the trees and small foliage, her eyes darting as they tried to keep up with the fast moving shadow; for a kitten, Mr. Whiskers sure could move quick. "Grrrr; come here you mangy thing!" She growled under her breath, adding an extra push of speed as she flung herself head first into a bush, snagging hold of the furry critter before it could dash away. She yelped as she somersaulted out of the other side of the bush, landing on her back with the frightened kitten clutched securely in both her hands. "YES! I WIN!" She sat up, holding the kitten out at arms length from her. "You slippery thing! You nearly got away from me!" The kitten mewed pathetically at her making her chuckle. "Now, to go find Gray and get the heck out of here-!"

Before she could react, the ground around her exploded and she was hoisted into the air by a large net. She screamed as she bounced around in mid air, the motion making her feel a little ill. The kitten, who was still clutched tightly in her hands, mewed its displeasure and sunk its claws into her hands in panic. As the nets movements started to slow down to a mere swing and Kira was able to regain her baring she let out a relieved sigh. "Dear god all mighty, I thought something was trying to eat us..." She said to the kitten who mewed in agreement.

"Well look what we have here boys! A little lost bunny!" Kira blanched, bending her head back to view the owner of the unfamiliar, and extremely rough voice. There where four men and a single female standing behind her, most of whom looked rather excited with their eyes transfixed on her as if they had just one the jack pot. The woman, tall and slender with choppy black hair and uncaring brown eyes, and the youngest of the men, who had dark green hair and brown eyes, looked rather bored with life in general, and where standing a little ways behind the other three men. Two of the men looked nearly identical aside from one looking noticeably older then the other. Brothers maybe? Both had sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. The last man, tall and skinny with messy brown hair and beady blue eyes was smirking cockily up at Kira, making her surprise slip into mild irritation.

"Hold on Mr. Whiskers..." She mumbled, extending her right hand at the net. A black magic circle erupted from her fingers only to sizzle and die out as it made contact with the net. Kira felt her eyes widen in shock; a Magic canceling net?! The slim brown haired man snickered triumphantly.

"And she does magic; boy's, we've hit the jack pot!" She turned to the woman who was busy examining her nails in a rather bored way. "Nice thinking on the Anti-Magic net Reba; looks like it came in handy after all!" The woman, Reba shrugged her shoulders and replied with rather sullen tone.

"So what do you plan to do with her now that you have her? If you take her out of the net she will surly get away, but she can't stay up in that tree-"

"HELLO! I'm right here you know! How's about you let me down and we can part ways all civil like!" Kira said as she pulled in vein at the ropes of the net; damn, they where way to thick for her to break on her own and she left her bag back with Gray... Why did it feel like this net was getting smaller and smaller? Kira felt the panic swell in her chest before she could stamp it out, causing her to thrash a little harder. "LET ME OUT!"

"Heh, seems she's discovering that nets other useful gift; not only is it enchanted to cancel out any magic of whom ever gets caught in it, but it's also made to constrict around the pray to keep it from moving around and possibly injuring its self. A very useful tip when dealing with brash Wizards such as yourself," the slim man said. Kira was hardly paying him any mind as the ropes around her had become so tight she was finding it difficult to breath. Strips of her skin that where touching the ropes where starting to rub raw from all her moving. "It should be safe to cut her down now; just be sure to cut above the knot. The net will hold her arms and legs still so she cant fight back."

"What ever..." The young man with the dark green hair walked rather stiffly towards her, pulling out a rather lethal looking knife from inside his coat. Kira felt her heart rate pick up once again, her eyes widening with each step the green hared man took towards her. He raised the knife up above her head. Kira shut her eyes, unsure of what to expect from the strangely silent man. She head the sound of rope being severed and felt the sensation of falling for a mere half a heart beat before she was caught in a pair of strong arms and cradled rather gently against a warm chest. She peeked her eyes open to see that it was the same green haired man who had caught her, though he seemed to be regarding her curiously while his back was turned to his companions.

This didn't make her feel any better though. Kira felt more trapped now then she had hanging from the tree. It didn't matter how gently he held her, how soft his brown eyes had become, seeming to well with mild pity before going blank as he turned towards the presumed leader. Him, along with everyone else in attendance where trouble. Her brain kept screaming 'danger danger' at her like some kind of siren, but despite going over the situation in her head, she couldn't find anyway for her to escape from this one. She couldn't use magic, and she didn't have her bag and consequently her knife.

A pathetic mew from her hands made her look down just in time to see the kitten squirm it's way from her hold, bounding through a gap in the net and bounding into the foliage. "TRAITOR! DON'T JUST LEAVE ME WITH THESE PEOPLE!" The slim man started laughing along with the two brothers.

"Should we go after the cat Boris?" Reba asked dejectedly. Slim waved off her words with a smug smile.

"Good riddance; what's that thing going to do? Lead someone to find her? Heh, don't make me laugh Reba." Reba's brow furrowed, the first emotion of then boredom that Kira had yet to see cross her face.

"It was just a suggestion; you never know what a cat that's owned by a Wizard is capable of." Boris shrugged his shoulders before turning and beckoning the group to follow him into the foliage.

"We'll be long gone far sooner then anyone could ever track her to this forest; let's head back to camp. We'll sleep for a couple hours and then take off. If we're lucky we can reach Onibus and get to the auction in time to register her. She should fetch a pretty penny." The two sandy hared men followed Boris like a couple of puppies. Reba scoffed and left shortly after them leaving Kira and her green hared guard to take up the rear. Kira felt her stomach bottom out; auction? THEY WHERE GOING TO SELL HER?! She gulped; she could only hope that Gray would find her. He was looking, right?

* * *

Meanwhile some mile and a half to the south...

Gray growled as his left foot sank sloppily into the wet swamp like terrain he had stumbled across. "Damn Kira... damn cat... when I find her I'm gonna make her cry for putting me through this... I swear it!" He tossed Kira's pack onto the dry bank that he had been trying to reach.

"Mew!" Gray stopped mid tug on his leg, glancing with wide eyes over his shoulder at the little black kitten that sat cutely at the very edge of the wet zone, his large green eyes staring longing at Gray. "...mew..."

"THE CAT! Kira can't be to far behind him then..." He turned and tugged his leg out of the swampy ground using his upper body strength and an available tree stump to haul himself out of the wet earth. He sighed in relief as he set foot on solid ground once again. The prodding of soft pawn against his ankle brough his attention to his now muddy feet. He grumbled pushing the persistent kitten away with his toe. "Cut it out..."

"Mew! Mew!" The kitten zig-zaged between Gray's legs, pushing against the back of his calves.

"Come on you mangy cat- where the hell is Kira?!" He seethed out. The Kitten gave his leg one last brush before trotting towards to the undergrowth. It stopped and sat down, staring at Gray expectantly.

"Mew!" Gray raised a brow at the kitten; was this normal cat behavior? The kitten looked over it's shoulder into the undergrowth before prancing into it. Gray nearly panicked, thinking that the kitten which he had tried so hard to find (along with his partner) was trying to get away, but stopped short of running when the kitten reappeared from the same bush at a trot, prancing over to him and rubbing against his calf once again before running back into the bush. "Mew!"

He quirked a brow in uncertainty; should he follow him? "... why the hell not. Not like I have anything to lose..." Gray reached down and hoisted the pack onto his bare shoulder and took off after the kitten at a jog. He could only hope that he met up with Kira at some point during all of this. Not that he was worried; Kira could take care of herself. Right?...yeah...

* * *

So there you go :) number 2! This one will have a second chapter to it- didn't want to over ride any ones brain with having to read to much at a time. This one might end up being 3 chapters long, it all depends on how I feel about it as I continue with the 2nd part :D

So I hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

Here's part two of The Thing About Cats- I hope ya'l liked the first half :)

* * *

Shine The Light- Sugarland

"...And when you look into the mirror

And see someone you don't know

When the Shadows are closing in on you

Like a hand around your throat

I will shine the light..."

* * *

Kira glared distastefully at the two blonde haired men that where knelt before her bound form. They leered at her gleefully, their crooked teeth visible due to the smug grins they each wore. She wished that they would leave her alone; she needed to think of a way to get out of there and they where being to distracting. "Yo Boris, how much do you think we could get for this chick? She can't be any older then 13!"

"13 Ken? I'd say more like 10! She's so tiny!" The older brother reached out as if to touch Kira's head but her pulled back when Kira snapped her teeth at him. "And she's feisty! I don't know Boris, maybe we could do better. Who would want a 10 year old with an attitude problem as a slave?"

"Not to mention how skinny she is!" Ken, the younger brother said with a serious look upon his face. "She's practically a twig; how are we supposed to make money off a girl with no sex appeal?"

"She's a child; their not bought for sex appeal." The two men before her froze up as the young man with green hair appeared behind them, his eyes narrowed a little in what Kira would describe as annoyance though his tone was even and devoid of emotion. The younger brother looked over his shoulder, a nervous chuckle coming from him as he rubbed the back of his neck. "And we don't sell them to anyone who is looking for that kind of service."

"We where just joking Taylor! Right Kent?" The older brother, Kent grunted in agreement as the two men stood and quickly moved to the other side of the small camps fire. Taylor watched them go with narrowed eyes before settling down on the ground a good five feet from Kira's position. Boris, who was sitting on the other side of the fire from Taylor and Kira, laughed at Ken and Kent's fast retreat.

"Always such a gentleman Taylor, even to your captives; it's good to have you on our team. Ken and Kent need someone to teach them a lesson on class!" Reba, who was standing against a tree behind Boris rolled her eyes as if to say 'like you have room to talk'. Taylor remained stone faced, showing little appreciation for Boris' praise. "And to answer your questions you idiots, did it ever cross your mind that this child will one day grow into a woman? And from the looks of those bindings it wont be to long before she becomes of age; we wont sell her right away. We'll keep her captive until she's of age and _then_ we will sell her."

Ken scratched the top of his head in confusion. "Sooooo, if we are going to keep her why are we going to register her in tomorrows auction?" Boris smiled smugly.

"To see what she's worth in her present condition. If she will fetch a pretty penny as she is now, imagine what she will sell for in a years time after she develops a little more? If we play our cars right, we could all be sitting pretty!" Reba scoffed, her brown eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"What makes her so different from the others? How could she fetch such a high price?"

"Because she's a wizard; and judging by that magic circle she tried to cast before she's got some talent to her." Boris said, his beady blue eyes zeroing in on Kira who was becoming more panicked as they discussed their plans for her. "And that temper of hers will make her more interesting; there are some clients who will pay good money for a toy they get to break first."

"You won't get away with this!" Kira yelled at him, her green eyes narrowed threateningly despite her inability to move. "My guild will notice that I've gone missing! And once they do you'll be sorry you ever laid eyes on me!" Boris stared at her with surprised eye before throwing his head back in laughter. "What the hell is so funny?! You just wait and see, my Guilds the strongest Guild in the nation-"

"Like I care; by the time they catch up with us you'll be long gone to a new master." Boris said, a sinister smirk tugging at his lips. " You'll be sold off to the highest bidder and then broken beyond repair; you precious Guild wont want anything to do with a Wizard who's been shattered." Boris stood up then and waltzes over to Kira who was shaking on the ground, the little bit of fight she had mustered up slipping away as he came closer. Boris knelt down to her level, his arms resting on his bent knees and a smug smirk plastered to his face. She wanted very much so to punch that look off his face, and though her muscles twitched in an effort to move, all she could do was wiggle a little to put a larger gap of space between them. Her movement stopped however when he suddenly lashed out, clutching her chin painfully between his thump and fore finger. "And I haven't even told you the best part; once you've been reduced to a useless, scared, ugly shell, you'll be thrown away into a dark corner. And there you will rot away. Nobody will ever remember you, and nobody will ever come to find you because to them, you're nothing more then a distant memory. A stain that was removed from the surface of the world-!"

Kira felt her blood start to boil in her veins as she wrenched her chin from his hold and hacked a big fat logy into his face. Boris drew back in surprise, his face contorting in rage as he wiped the offending saliva from his cheek and eye. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! My guild will find me- and you're going to pay for-!"

Boris turned to her, his pupils dilated and his teeth bared in rage. "You little bitch- I'll teach you to behave as a slave should!" Boris swung before Kira could react, his fist making a solid blow to her face and sending her to the ground with a small yelp. She could hear Ken and Kent snickering a little in the back round while Reba said something along the lines of 'should just keep her mouth shut'. Taylor seemed to be the only one disturbed by Boris' attack, though he did nothing to interfere as Boris rose to stand above her. "The first lesson you will learn is to stay silent when being punished!" Boris raised his foot, prepared to strike Kira in the side. Kira flinched as his foot descended, prepared for the pain that was about to assault her senses.

* * *

Gray groaned as the Kitten dashed another ten feet in front of him. He was starting to think that this stupid cat was leading him to absolute nowhere; he had been following him for well over two hours and the sun had already fallen beneath the horizon making the woods the surrounded him looking menacing. The kitten turned around and mewed at him pathetically. How much long would he have to follow this cat?!

Gray stomped over to where the cat was and paused. The Kitten normally ran away again, but this time he sat stock still, his large green eyes focused before him and his ears perked at attention in the direction he was facing. Gray quirked a brow at the cat; he was starting to think this cat had some kind of brain damage or something.

"What now-?" Grays ears perked up as a new sound filtered through the foliage. Where those voices? Two of them from the sound of it; men. What where two men doing out alone in the woods? He crept a little closer, unable to pick up on exactly what they where saying to each other. But just when he thought he could make out whole words the voices cut off, laving him pondering their origins. He glanced down at the kitten who had yet to move a muscle. "Do you know what's going on?" Gray found himself asking, though he felt completely ridiculous once the words had left his mouth. He was talking to a damn cat for Christs sake!

The kitten finally moved so that he was staring up at Gray intently. "Mew..." Gray's eyes widened in surprise as the kitten moved into a crouch as if stalking some kind of prey and moved forward into the dark under brush. Gray decided to follow after him, being sure to keep the noise of his foot falls at a minimum so as not to give away his location. Moment's later the light of a dim fire broke through the dense darkness. Gray could make out a few people sitting around the fire. Four men, a woman and what looked like a child wrapped up in a net? One of the men, a tall lanky individual, was knelt before the child with his hand holding steady to the child's face."- and nobody will ever come to find you because to them, you're nothing more then a distant memory. A stain that was removed from the surface of the world-!"

Gray felt his blood boil in his veins as the mans words sunk into his brain; who was he to talk that way to someone who looked like they couldn't be any older then 10?! That was no way to talk to a little kid! He felt a bit of triumph when he witnessed the child rear back and spit directly into the mans face.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING-" Gray felt his eyes widen and his jaw nearly hit the forest floor..._ THAT'S KIRA?!..._ "My guild will find me- and you're going to pay for-!" The man, having recovered from Kira's assault, gave Kira a look that screamed death and made Gray's heart nearly stop.

"You little bitch- I'll teach you to behave as a slave should!" Before Gray could move the man lashed out, his fist making a solid hit against Kira's cheek making her cry out as she fell violently to the floor. The man straightened himself up to where he was towering over top a cowering Kira, his foot raised to strike her once again. Gray felt an overwhelming rage fill his chest, his legs and arms moving on their own account as the man moved in seemingly slow motion to deliver what would have been a devastating blow.

Gray slammed his right fist into his left palm, a brilliant white light erupting from between them. "ICE MAKE: ICED FIST!" The man had no time to react as Gray's iced over fist slammed into his face, knocking him off his feet and making him land some five feet away from a now shell shocked Kira. Gray stood between Kira and the man that now lay on the ground panting hard as he called his magic back into him, dissolving the ice that had formed over his fist.

"Gray...?" Gray glanced down to see Kira staring up at him with wide teary eyes, a dark bruise already forming on her cheek. His eyes flashed angrily back to the man who was now standing and being flanked by the two blonde men and the woman, and all members where looking murderous.

* * *

"Gray...?" Kira said, her whole body flooding with relief as she took in the familiar profile that stood protectively above her. He had really come to save her?! He glanced at her over his shoulder, his dark blue eyes meeting her own before narrowing dangerously. Kira gulped; Gray was pissed. Sure, she had seen him mad before (this morning was a good example of a mad Gray) but he was practically shaking with furry now.

"Who the hell are you?" Ken't asked furiously, his hands clenched tightly at his sides and his hazel eyes narrowed dangerously. Everyone was standing at Boris' back, each looking murderous. Gray's eyes flicked back to his opponents, his shoulder squaring off and all previous nerves leaving him; he refused to be scared of such low life's. They weren't worth the mud stuck to his feet. "And why the hell are you practically naked?!" For once Gray gave no reaction to his unusual habit; he care less what he was wearing. In fact, being clad in only his boxers gave him an advantage; he wouldn't have to wash the blood stains out after he was finished with these bastards.

Kira rolled so she was sitting up now, her hands pulling at the ropes that bound her; now that Gray was here she didn't have need to try and be sneaky about her escape plans. Meanwhile, Boris wiped the blood from his chin with a smug smile. "Heh, nothing but a lost little Fairy; must have been traveling with our little flower." Ken scoffed, cracking his knuckles and stepping forward.

"Let me take care of this pest boss- no need for you to dirty your hands on such an insignificant bug." Gray's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, his hands clutching into fists at his sides. Boris shrugged his shoulders, motioning for Ken to do as he pleases much to the younger brothers delight. Ken snickered, strolling towards Gray casually, his hands set upon his hips and a cheeky smile plastered on his face. "I'll give you a chance to run away ki-!" As Ken came to a stop some five feet from the two children, Gray shifted into his casting stance, placing his right fist against his left palm.

"Ice Make; Freeze!" Before Ken could react, Gray reached out and grasped hold of one of his wrists, sending a thick sheet of ice along the appendage and over the majority of his body and onto the forest floor beneath him, freezing him in place with just enough room for him to take short breaths.

"Ken!" Kent rushed forward to help his brother, his fist raised to strike Gray down. He had hardly made it a few steps before he was slammed back by the frozen ice block that was his brother, effectively knocking both himself and his frozen sibling unconscious. Kira watched all of this with wide eyes, her mouth flapping open and closed like a fish out of water.

"H-holly hell Gray! That was awesome!" She cheered. Reba was also showing a bit of shock on her stony face, while Boris looked irritable.

"Reba- take care of this brat." Reba sighed, running her hand through her choppy black hair irritably.

"Fight your own battles; I'm not stupid enough to walk into battle with a Wizard when I have no magic abilities myself." Reba said making Boris' brow twitch in irritation.

With a growl Boris stepped forward, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a pocket knife, flicking it open with ease and brandishing it at Gray threateningly. Kira quirked a brow at him as he flipped the knife around in his hand with complete confidence. How the hell did he think that puny knife was going to help him against Gray's Ice Make Magic? Gray didn't seem phased at all, his hands held at the ready to call upon his magic once again.

"Fine then- I'll make this quick." Boris said, falling into a fighting stance. He launched himself towards Gray who was quick to react, calling upon his Ice Make Freeze once again. He easily evaded Boris out stretched hand, grasping at his wrist the same way as he had grasped at Ken's. Boris laughed darkly as Gray's ice tried to cover his arm only to melt after a couple inches. A familiar light shinning at the end of the knifes handle made Kira gasp; he was using an enchanted knife! Boris reached for Gray with his free hand, grabbing him up by his throat and throwing him into a nearby tree.

"Gray!" Kira shouted in concern before turning back to Boris who had started to stalk over to where Gray was staggering to his feet. Using every ounce of her strength, Kira swung her legs around, knocking Boris' legs out from beneath him and sending him tumbling to the ground beside her. "Don't forget about me you bastard- tied up or not I'll still kick your ass!" Boris let out a shout of anger as he rolled himself over, coming up to his knee's and lifting the pocket knife over his head. Kira shrieked, narrowly dodging the sharp blade as Boris brought it down towards her head. He raised the knife again, using his free hand to pull her hair and move her head back into the path of the blade.

Gray brought himself up to his knees, his eyes flashing down as the black cat who had started all of this came trotting out of the woods behind him, looking up at him with worried eyes. "Mew?" He growled, turning back to his opponent only to feel his heart leap into his throat as he watched Boris bring his knife down towards Kira's head. She dodged it with a terrified shrike, eliciting an angered shout from Boris who grasped tightly to her hair through the net, holding her head forcefully against the ground as he raised the knife for a second strike.

"NOOOO!" Gray screamed, grabbing the closest thing to him and throwing it at Boris who had hesitated and turned, as if suddenly reminded that he had a second person to worry about. Boris shouted in surprise and pain as he was suddenly attacked by a flying ball of fur, the kitten's sharp claws digging into the side of his head and its sharp fangs burying themselves into his face. Gray rushed over, grabbing the side of the net and pulling Kira's shaking form out from beneath the thrashing Boris.

"G-G-Gray...?" She sputtered out as he pulled at the knot in the net, trying desperately to free her from the magic binding ropes. Shitshitshit! He couldn't get the damn thing to loosen up! "I'm s-sorry! We never sh-should have taken th-this s-stupid mission!"

"Shut up!" He hissed out, glancing over his shoulder in time to see Boris throwing the cat off of himself and staggering to his feet. Reba, alarmed by the sudden cat attack, moved to help him only to receive a back hand to the face that sent her staggering back.

"Back off bitch! I don't need your help!" Boris glanced around feverishly, his eyes zeroing in on Gray and Kira, the former of whom was still pulling at the ropes that bound his partner. "You little fuckers are more trouble then your worth!" He reached into the back of his pant line, pulling out a small black hand gun and aiming it at the two of them. Gray and Kira felt their blood run cold as Boris let out a bone chilling laugh. "I'll take you out of my misery!"

Everything happened in a blur; Boris pulled the trigger at the same time that Gray rolled over top of Kira to shield her as best he could from the deadly bullet. Kira screamed in terror, her eyes squeezing shut with so much force she could feel a headache forming behind them. The sound of the bullet ricocheting off a distant rock made Gray's eyes widen in shock; how had he missed when he was so close?

"T-Taylor?! What the hell do you think your doing?!" Gray's head snapped to the side to see the young man with dark green hair and brown eyes standing beside Boris, his hand holding firmly to Boris' hand which held the gun, pointing it off into the distance. Taylor's eyes where narrowed in anger, his normally smooth face scrunched up in rage and her wrenched the gun from Boris' hand, aiming it carefully to the barrel sat mere inches from Boris' forehead.

"My names Taylor Georginsin, bounty hunter for the Royal Army," Taylor reached into his shirt and pulled out what appeared to be a badge belonging to the royal army, making Boris' face go stark white. "Boris The Hunter, your under arrest for human trafficking, illegal gambling, three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder."

"Y-you- YOU SNAKE! I knew there was something wrong with you! You son of a bitch, I'll kill you-!" Boris stopped as the sound of a cocking gun echoed through the small clearing making Kira flinch slightly.

"I'll add threatening an officer to that list of offences," Taylor said. Gray's eyes widened in shock as Taylor brought the butt of the gun around and down onto the back of Boris' head, knocking the furious man unconscious. "We'll call that my own personal payback; I warned you that the next time you hit my partner I was going to knock you out." He turned a little, glancing at Reba who had just made her way back to her feet. "You ok?" She nodded, using her thumb to remove a small trickle of blood that flowed down her chin.

"I'll live." She said, running her hand irritably through her choppy black hair. She glanced around, taking stock of the three unconscious men before her eyes zeroed in on Kira and Gray. Kira shrank away from her gaze, her body still running on overdrive from the two near death experiences she had be subject to. Gray was unsure of what to do; was this some kind of joke? A trick? Where they really officers from the Royal Army, or where they simply saying that to get his guard down? "I'll get these three packed up and ready to ship out. You tend to the kids." She said before turning towards Ken and Kent who had started to groan signaling their return to the waking world.

Taylor sighed but nodded, turning worried brown eyes towards Kira and Gray. Gray felt his muscles go stiff as Taylor made his way towards them, kneeling down to be eye level with them and offering them an awkward smile. "Hey there... mind if I, uh, untie her? I have a knife I can use-" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pocket knife and making both Gray and Kira scoot back in mild alarm. Taylor raised his hands in surrender, the knife still clutched tightly in his right hand. "Whoa there! I'm not gonna hurt you guys, ok? Sorry that I sat back and let all that happen- I had to wait until Boris got involved before I could arrest him." He tossed the knife to the ground in the small amount of space between Kira and Gray before standing up to his full height and offering them a troubled smile. "I don't blame you for not trusting us though... you can keep the knife, ok?" He turned then to see that Reba was putting the finishing touches on their captive targets, drawing silly mustaches on their faces.

Gray quirked a brow at her behavior and the gesture didn't go un-noticed by Taylor. "Yeah she's kind of weird; but we work well together." Taylor looked down at them with a small smile. "You two kind of remind me of how Reba and I used to be when we where your age. Defending each other like you just did." He looked back to Reba who was smiling evilly as she looked over her handy work. "Never lose that bond, ok? You may not know it now, but the relationship between you and your partner is deeper then anything else you'll ever have in your life; not many people can say for certain that someone will always have their back."

"You ready?" Reba asked, turning to see that Kira was still tied up and Taylor was standing their giving the two children a strange smile. Taylor nodded, turning away from Gray and Kira and making his way over to his partner. Reba quirked a brow at him before reaching down and picking up Ken, slinging his limp form over her shoulder with ease. Taylor grabbed Kent and Boris at their wastes and did the same, hoisting them both onto opposite shoulders before turning towards Gray and Kira, the former of whom had just reached for the knife.

"Feel free to use any of the supplies that are left in the bags; there should be food and some bandages for her cheek." Taylor said over his shoulder making Gray freeze in his movements. Taylor continued on, waving over his shoulder as Reba's voice chimed in, berating him for leaving the 'little girl' tied up. Gray waited until they where out of sight before making a move for the knife once again. Feeling no kind of residual energy coming off the knife suggesting it being cursed, he turned to Kira cutting through the rope with ease.

Kira rubbed at her raw arms through her jacket as Gray tossed the ruined net and the knife away. "Are you ok?" Kira opens her mouth but instantly closes it, opting to nod her head instead. Gray sighs as her whole body trembles; her breathing was to erratic, and her face was to pale. Her eyes where wide and tense, and her hands- hell, her whole body was shaking like a leaf. She wasn't 'ok'. Gray pulls the two of them up before turning and kneeling down, motioning for Kira to climb on his back. "Come on- lets get out of here, k?" Kira nodded as she climbed numbly onto his back, her arms wrapping tight around his neck. Gray stood, placing his hands under her thighs to keep her held securely on his back as he left the now empty camp sight, leaving all the slave traders equipment behind; he didn't want anything more to do with those people, and he didn't want to keep Kira there any longer. Gray snags up their pack, carrying it on his left wrist as he wonders practically blind into the forest.

* * *

OMG! Part two, up and over! Sorry if the action scene kind of blows... my forte is not in action scene's lol So there is going to be a part 3... cause this episode isn't quite finished yet... I'M SORRY IT'S SO LONG! T-T

So, tune in for another installment of "The Thing About Cats"


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3, and the last installment of this episode! Dear lord, this one mission seems to be ridiculously long! AND IT'S NOT EVEN ORIGINAL TO THE ANIME OR MANGA! But I like it :P

And I hope you guys do too!

* * *

Sugarland- Shine the Light

"...When you've given into your fear

When you've lost your will to fight

Let me know what I can do

Let me try to make it right..."

* * *

It was nearly three hours later that Gray finally felt as though they where far enough away from the slave traders camp. Trying to be as gentle as possible despite his own fatigue, Gray sat Kira down near the hollowed out base of a large tree, intent to use the mulched space as their shelter for the night. Gray opened the pack and let out a sigh- he couldn't see any of the stuff he had shoved back into it when he had originally left to find Kira earlier that night. He glanced over at Kira who was leaning rather pathetically against the trunk of the tree, her eyes fluttering closed every few seconds only to snap back to attention moments later.

"Hey Kira...?" Her gaze, which had been placed on nothing in particular, slid over to him groggily. "... I don't know how to use your bag..." She stared blankly at him for a few seconds before gradually breaking out in a small grin and a few snickers. Gray felt his brow tick in annoyance.

"What the hell is so funny?" He asked irritably. She shook her head, reaching her hand out in a silent request for the pack. Gray handed it over to her with a huff of annoyance, his eyes widening when Kira grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him until he was seated directly beside her with the pack still clutched tightly in his hand.

"It's an expansion spell; I placed it on the front pocket so I would never be with out the necessities." She said, lifting the flap on the bag and unzipping the front pocket. Gray's brows nearly hit his hair line as he gazed into the pocket. It looked like a over stuffed closet, though everything was folded rather neatly and labeled. One stack was labeled as 'books', another stack which was nearly all shirts and pants read 'Gray's spares'. A small cooler labeled 'perishable food' was the first thing Kira reached for, opening the lid and exposing a few left over sandwiches and a couple bottles of water. She pulled out two sandwiches and two bottles of water, placing them between her legs. The next pile she reached for read 'toiletries' from which she grabbed a box of what appeared to be baby wipes. "Here, clean yourself off while I get you some new cloths out."

Gray looked down and felt his face light up like a Christmas tree. Kira snickered at his embarrassment as he took the wet wipes from her and started wiping down his legs and feet, removing the mud that had caked on from the swamp. "Oh so _now_ your embarrassed; a while ago you didn't even notice you where practically naked."

"A 'while ago' I was occupied..." Gray grumbled out as he threw away the soiled wet wipes. He felt weight settle on his lap and looked down to see a pile of clean cloths, complete with new shoes. He let out a sigh. "How do you always have spare cloths for me in there?" She shrugged her shoulders as she pulled a couple blankets out of the pack followed by a first aid kit.

"I have a donation box that says ' give cloths to the needy'. People put cloths and shoes in it, and I use them to keep up my stock for when you lose your tops and bottoms." Gray sputtered, his face turning red again as he pulled on his clean pants.

"You do not! I've never seen anything like that set up before!" Kira gave him a dead serious stare.

"How else do you think I afford to keep up with your habit? I don't make enough money in a single job to give you what you want, so I have to play a little dirty to get the _stuff_!" Gray felt a sweat drop roll down the back of his head.

"You make me sound like a drug addict..." Kira shrugged her shoulder and waved him off.

"Details- no I really just wait until we are running low and then I just go out and buy more." Gray nearly choked on the bite of sandwich he had just taken, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Y-YOU WHAT?! Kira, why do you spend your own money to buy spare cloths for me when you know I'm just going to lose them?!"

Kira placed her finger to her chin in thought. "Hmmmm... because I can." She said as if that explained every question Gray had ever had about life. "And besides, the amount of money I spend on your cloths doesn't even come close to the amount of money I would lose if I let you walk around every job in your underwear; some of our clients would be very offended if you stormed in practically naked. They may not even pay us because of it." Gray felt himself dying a little on the inside with every point she made; he was such a huge inconvenience to her all the time. He sighed taking another bite out of his sandwich only to pause and look down at it. Ham, cheese and lettuce- no tomato. Just how he liked it. He felt even lower now; he never even realized that she always made the food they brought with them, always provided the drinks, the blankets, the tents, pots and pans, bandages- everything! Hell, she even had a tooth brush in a baggie that had his name on it and the brand of toothpaste he used to go with it!

And what did he do? Get mad at her for climbing into his bed at night because it was more comfortable then her own, get mad when she would babble about nothing just to fill the silence. He even got mad when she disappeared after that damn cat. He had been so angry with her for just running off on him; he had planned to get her back, to make her cry. How childish. Gray's mind flashed back to the events of the night, to the tears that had been gathered in the corners of her eyes as Boris struck her down. He watched the memory continue on, replaying every moment of their encounter with the slavers. Gray felt his chest tighten uncomfortably as the images of Boris attempting to stab Kira in the head ran through his mind... she even had a cut on her cheek from the knife grazing her. Gray could only remember one other time when he had felt such fear... the last time he had seen Ur...

Kira watched as Gray's hands slowly fell to his lap, his eyes glazing over as he was dragged into his own mind... _what could he be thinking about?..._ She spied his half uneven-buttoned shirt and snickered; no wonder he always lost his cloths, he could hardly dress himself properly. Kira reached over and started undoing the crooked buttons and redoing them so that they where straight. Gray jumped, using his free left hand to grab her wrist in surprise. Kira stopped fixing the buttons, flashing him a teasing smile.

"Silly Gray, cant you even button your shirt right?"

He opened his mouth to berate her but stopped short when his eyes landed on the still bloody cut on her cheek. He sighed, releasing her wrist and allowing her to finish fixing his shirt. "If you get out the bandages I'll clean up your cheek for you." He said making her eyes widen a little bit. Kira reached up, touching her cheeks and finding with great surprise that she did indeed have an injury.

"Oh, when did this happen? Ow, damn it this really hurts now!" Gray felt a drop of sweat roll down the back of his head. Kira pouted, eyeing the blood that coated her finger tips sullenly.

"How could you not feel that..."

* * *

A couple hours later, with full bellies and clean cloths, Gray and Kira where laying beside each other inside a small tent Kira had managed to pack into her mysterious back pack. Gray stared up at the ceiling of the tent, his mind wondering helplessly while his partner lay a few inches to his left, sprawled out on her stomach. A small scratching at the front of the tent made him tense up. That is until a rather pathetic sounding 'meow' came from the same direction. He sighed, sitting up and crawling to the entrance of the ten, unzipping the very bottom to allow their target to slip inside.

"You mangy thing... where the hell have you been?" Gray asked the kitten who gazed up at him pitifully before rubbing against his side affectionately. He sighed, scratching the back of the kitten's ears and eliciting a purr from said kitten. "Your owner better have the money for our reward; you sure did cause a whole lot of trouble for us..."

"Mew..."

Gray scoffed, falling back onto his blankets; he was talking to the damn cat again. He needed to stop that before Kira heard him and started teasing him about losing his mind. The kitten meowed again before climbing over the top of Kira's blanket and settling its self above her head.

"You better not wake her up you mangy thing..." He said to the cat who simply yawned in response before closing its eyes to fall into a fitful sleep. Gray sighed, rolling onto his side so that he was looking at Kira as she slept. She looked rather stupid in her sleep, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly and her arms and legs splayed out around her. She wasn't even using her pillow, rather it was resting slightly atop her head. Gray could't believe that she was sleeping so soundly.

His own brain couldn't shut off; it kept playing the events of the last twenty four hours over and over again. Kira, his thick headed tough as nails partner, had been reduced to a trembling mess. Hell, she had even _cried_. Gray didn't think Kira could cry... she's always seemed to strong and- to see her in such a weakened state. That's what made him snap; he couldn't bare to see someone as strong as her looking so vulnerable.

"... You're a real pain in the ass you know..." He grumbled out at her, aware that she was unable to hear him. She grunted in her sleep before snuggling deeper under her pillow, hiding the majority of her head and face from him. He sighed, placing his hand over the pillow and, indirectly, her head. "I'll never let anyone make you feel like that again Kira. I promise."

* * *

The next morning found Gray standing in front of an empty, chard lot, his mouth agape and his eyes wide in disbelief. "It's... gone!" He shouted as he ran into the middle of the lot, digging at the chard ground frantically. "NO! What the hell happened?!" Kira stood to the side scratching the side of her face with her left hand while in her right arm she held the black kitten.

"Hmmm... look's like it burned down..." She said as she glanced around. No old lady to be seen either...

"Then wheres the owner?! We have to return the fur-ball or we don't get our reward!" Gray asked as he collapsed to his knees; just his freaking luck! Of course the old crone would up and disappear on them!

"... I don't know..."

"Excuse me; but are you looking for Granny Jamma?" Kira spun around on her heel to see a rather young woman and two small children standing some ten feet behind her, looks of concern on their dirty faces.

"Uh, yeah- we found her cat." Kira said as she presented the kitten for the woman's inspection. The woman sighed, a small frown falling onto her face.

"I'm sorry, but Granny Jamma died last night."

Kira and Gray's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" Kira shouted in surprise, pulling the kitten into her bosom tightly. "How-?"

"Her hut caught on fire and unfortunately she died from inhaling to much smoke." Gray lowered his head in defeat. Sure, he felt bad about the old woman dying, but what kind of cruel twist of fate was this?

"I see..." Kira said, a small frown pulling at her lips as her eyes fell to the small, oblivious black kitten in her arms. "Then... I guess he's coming home with us!"

"What?" Gray asked dead panned as the kitten mewed happily. "You can't be serious..."

"I am DEAD serious! No pun intended towards Granny Jamma-" Kira said as she held the kitten out towards Gray, a serious expression on her normally smiling face. "Just look at him! We can't leave him behind when his homes been destroyed! And, and- HE'S SO CUTE!" Kira cuddled the kitten to her face eliciting a purr from the kitten. Gray felt his left brow twitch before he turned to the woman and two children who looked mildly disturbed as Kira continued to baby talk to the kitten.

"Kira... your freaking them out..."

* * *

END CHAPTER 3 AND AS SUCH, THIS MISSION!

Ok so heres the low down- I got a promotion at my job, but this means that I wont have as much time to work on this story. I don't have internet at my house (though I plan to get it soon) and I won't be overnight anymore, so that means actually having to work for my pay. Not that I'm complaining, I hate sitting at a desk with writers block lol

But as such, the next installment will take some time to come out, so please be patient with me!

Sorry if the ending for this one sucked, I just couldn't think of what else to have happen, but yeah... Kira's keeping the cat much to Gray's annoyance... lol

Ja-Ni!


End file.
